This invention relates generally to smoking accessories, and more particularly relates to a novel and improved pocket-sized water pipe for filtering smoke from tobacco or other herbal smoking products.
Water pipes, and in particular, those decorative versions known as “bubblers” which are made out of glass are employed to smoke tobacco and other herbal smoking substances by filtering the smoke through water. The water pipe is constructed with a water chamber which can be filled with an appropriate amount of water, and tobacco is placed into a bowl at the upper end of the chamber. A user then places a finger over a carburetor opening in the wall of the chamber and the tobacco is ignited while the user draws air through a mouthpiece externally connected to the chamber through a stem. Smoke from the burning tobacco in the bowl enters via a downstem, passes through the water reservoir and is drawn upwardly through the stem of the mouthpiece and into the user's mouth while removing the finger from the carburetor. The finger is not released from the carburetor until the chamber is filled with smoke and then is drawn out through the mouth by virtue of air passing through the mouthpiece and through the carburetor. Conventional water pipes are cumbersome and when miniaturized for portability can cause the water to enter the user's mouth and create the potential for facial burns.
Accordingly, there is a need for a water pipe for smoking tobacco and the like that can be handheld and readily fit into a pocket or purse and in use prevents water ingestion while minimizing the danger of facial burns. In addition, it is desirable to eliminate external stems and other appendages while minimizing the number of steps required to manufacture.